Data Model for a Common Language

1. A computer-implemented method for storing a common language application framework in order to produce a queriable representation of the common language application framework, the method comprising: maintaining a schema in computer memory corresponding to the application framework; maintaining a database structure in computer memory corresponding to the schema; storing information within the database structure corresponding to at least some portion of the application framework, including storing the name of a first type in the application framework, the first type being part of a hierarchy that includes a first and a second namespace, wherein the second namespace is a child of the first namespace, and wherein the first type is a child of the second namespace; storing information within the database structure corresponding to an abstraction of the hierarchy of the first type such that the name of the first type is associated with an identifier of only the first namespace as well as an identifier of a combination of the first and the second namespace; receiving a query for types of the first namespace of the application framework; and using the abstraction of the hierarchy of the first type to return the first type as a type that is included in the hierarchy of the first namespace.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the schema comprises a post-relational schema and the database structure comprises post-relational structures.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the common language application framework is the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the common language application framework is the NET Common Language Runtime (CLR).

5. A computer program product comprising computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by suitable computing equipment, implements the method of claim 1 .

6. A computer system comprising computer-readable memory and one or more computer processors upon which is implemented the method of claim 1 .

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising: storing information within the database structure corresponding to one or more methods of the first type; and storing information within the database structure corresponding to parameters of the one or more methods such that information corresponding to the method's parameters may be queried, and retrieved as associated with the methods.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the database structure into which the one or more methods' information is stored represents at least one of nested relations, XML, or collection types.

9. A computer program product comprising computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions encoded thereon which, when executed by suitable computing equipment, implements the method of claim 7 .

10. A computer system comprising computer-readable memory and one or more computer processors upon which is implemented the method of claim 7 .

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising: representing the first type within the schema using a post-relational structure; and storing information corresponding to the first type within the post-relational structure, such that the information corresponding to the first type is stored within a column of a relevant repository item.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the repository item represents a field.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the repository item represents a parameter.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the repository item represents a return value.